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Meet regularly with first levelmanagers, line supervisors andother co-workersExplain what thermographyinvolves, demonstrate thecamera, ask for their supportand set up a mechanism forthem to request thermographysurveys. Set up a trophy boardof thermal image discoveries tohelp communicate your programthroughout the facility.

Integrate with other predictivemaintenance effortsThermography is often part of alarger predictive maintenance(PdM) program. Data from severaltechnologies, such as vibration,motor circuit analysis, airborneultrasound, and lube analysiscan all be used to study thecondition of a machine asset.Ideally, these technologies willwork from and with the same

computerized maintenancemanagement system (CMMS), toaccess equipment lists and

histories as well as to storereports and manage work orders.

Establish written inspectionproceduresWritten inspection proceduresdrive the quality of the data

collected and ensure theinspection is done safely. Keyingredients include safety,conditions required, and gui-dance for interpreting the data.National Fire Protection

Association (NFPA) 70E requiresthat all personnel be educatedabout the risks they face whenworking near electrical equipment.Personal protective equipment(PPE) must also be made available

to minimize the risk if an accidentshould occur. For thermographers,PPE generally includes flash-resistant clothing and a face shield.

As a starting point for creatingyour specific inspectionprocedures, review the industrystandards that currently exist (seeappendix). See if your companyhas procedures that can be usedas a guide and then start with themajor electrical and mechanicalapplications and refine as you

develop the program.Avoid prioritizing findings

based on temperature alone.Temperature measurementsidentify problems extremely welland may help characterizeproblems, but they arent the bestway determine the cause of afailing component. Your inspectionprocedures should address theconditions required to locateproblems, using thermography, as

well as acknowledge the othertechnologies needed totroubleshoot further.

Application Note

Growing a successful infraredprogram involves planning andaction. This document outlinessteps that will help you grow yourthermography program into a keypart of the way your companydoes business.

Getting Started

Gain support from managementSend management a summary ofwhat you learned in

thermography training and yourideas for what can happen next.Communicate what you wouldlike in the way of support andfind out how thermographyperformance results will bemeasured.

Practice readingthermographic imagesAim for using the camera 2-3times each week over the nextsix months to gain expertise.

Plan your work, track yourfindings, and document yourresults from the beginning.

Implementing an

infrared thermographymaintenance program

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Creating inspection routes

Begin by using existing lists ofequipment from a CMMS or otherinventory. Eliminate items thatarent well suited for infraredmeasurement and focus onequipment that creates productionbottlenecks. If possible, look athistory to guide you; where havefailures occurred in the past? Usea database or spreadsheet to groupthe remaining equipment together,either by area or function, intoroughly 2-3 hour inspection blocks.

The lists may not be up to date,so you can expect the first

inspection cycle to take more timeas you locate equipment, updatelists, deal with access issues, andso forth. During your first pass,also consider taking digital photosof each piece of equipment andstoring the images in the equip-ment database for later referenceas needed.

If thermography is new in yourplant, the first few inspectioncycles may yield a large number

of finds. Subsequent inspectionsshould go more smoothly. Afterabout three cycles, re-organizethe routes so they are moreefficient and add new routes andequipment into the inspectioncycle as necessary. The optimumfrequency of inspection will be

determined by the needs of theequipment assets. As they age,are heavily loaded, or are poorlymaintained, inspections maybecome more frequent.

Frequency of inspection is based

on a number of factors. The keydrivers are safety, the criticality ofthe equipment, the expense of afailure, and the frequency withwhich problems impact productionand/or maintenance. This latterpoint is important enough thatyou should devote time to

researching past failures, throughdiscussions with co-workers andby reviewing plant records. Oncethe equipment has gone throughseveral cycles of inspection, youmay find the following

frequencies are a good target:

Equipment type Frequency of

inspection

High voltage

substations 1-3 years

Transformers annually

440V Motor

Control Centers

Air conditioned 6-12 months

Non-airconditioned

or older 4-6 months

Electrical

distribution

equipment 4-6 months

Large motors* annually

Smaller motors 4-6 months

* assumes vibration analysis, MCA, andlub analysis are also being used

Prioritizing existing equipment is essential to getting a successful program started.A database like this one can be sorted according to various parameters as inspectionroutes are created initially and modified over time.(Courtesy of Management Resources Group)

This flow chart is an example of how thermography can logically fit into an overallmaintenance program that includes other PdM technologies.(Courtesy of Greg McIntosh, Snell Infrared Canada)

2 Fluke Corporation Implementing an Infrared Thermography Maintenance Program

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Its also vital to inspect all newequipment both as part of theacceptance process as well as, forlarger equipment, to establish abaseline. If equipment is damagedon arrival, inspect it as soon aspossible to determine its actualcondition. Some plants send theirthermographers off site to inspectnew equipment before itsdelivered, often finding deficien-cies and problems before theequipment is accepted. Whenrepairs or modifications are madeto equipment, the CMMS mustalert the thermographer to conduct

a follow-up inspection; all toooften a repair is not adequatelymade, for a variety of reasons, sodont assume everything is okayuntil the follow-up proves it.

Conditions may not be right foran inspection when it comes due.This incomplete work must berescheduled before the next cycle,so reserve time for makeup work.

You will also develop a list ofequipment that needs increased

monitoring until it can berepaired; many thermographersadd these pieces into a weeklyroute until the condition changes.

Conducting inspections

Working from a pre-inspectionchecklist is a good idea.

Make sure the Fluke ThermalImager is ready to go.

Charge the batteries. Ensure that the system is within

calibration by viewing a blackbody reference or conducting asimple tear duct check.

Clear the memory of previouslyrecorded data.

If you will be following aninspection route that has beeninspected previously, upload pastresults to the camera so they canbe compared to new findings.

If additional equipment isrequired, such as a digital clamp

meter for load reading, or a voicerecorder, etc., assemble all of itand make sure its in goodworking order.Sit down with co-workers from

the area where you will beconducting your days work.Discuss concerns (for safety,equipment conditions, etc) andnote any unusual conditions thatmight impact your work. Ask aboutany problems they have noted.

Because routine inspectionsshould generally be conducted bymore than one person, this is alsoa good time to go over your needswith your escort. Typically theescort will locate the exact equip-ment to be inspected, removepanel covers, take load readings,and watch out for the safety of the

thermographer while the FlukeImager is being used. He or sheshould also be able to fill in anynecessary information aboutequipment conditions or peculia-rities. During the pre-job meeting,its also important to identify theexact person who should benotified if an alarm or emergencycondition is encountered.

Whenever you enter an inspec-tion area, take a moment to getoriented, determine an emergencyexit strategy, and note any potentialhazards. Many thermographersbegin an electrical inspection by

looking first at the panel coverswhile they are still closed; if anyappear abnormally warm it maybe appropriate to take furthersafety precautions before accessingthe equipment inside. Airborneultrasound detection equipmentcan provide a very useful supple-mental signature and a level ofassurance that things are safe.

Unless you are conducting afirst-time baseline inspection, only

record thermal images whenproblems or exceptions arelocated. Take time to look at thefinding from several differentangles and collect any other datathat might be useful for youranalysis, including additionalvisual images of the component.Dont worry about actuallymeasuring temperatures until afteryouve found a problem. At thatpoint, if it is appropriate, thecorrect emissivity and reflected

temperature correction (RTC) canbe used. Additional analysis isoften easier to do back in theoffice at the computer.

For electrical enclosures, suchas an MCC panel, open only asmany panels as is safe. If enclosuredoors are left open for too long,any problem hot spots may cooloff. Once youve completedinspecting an enclosure, theescort should close the cover to

ensure the safety of anyone in thearea. If necessary, post signs orThis finding, an internal fault in a pole-mounted transformer feeding a critical load, wasconsidered serious enough that it could not wait for a scheduled shutdown. Protocolsshould be established before the inspection to handle situations like these effectively.


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barricades around an area duringthe inspection.

When the inspection iscomplete, meet briefly with thearea manager(s) and review yourfindings. Prepare them for what

youll say in your report, let themknow when the report will becoming, and discuss when yournext inspection cycle will occur.

Download any data youvecollected after each route as soonas possible to reduce the risk ofaccidental erasure. Delete anyunnecessary images and processthe rest individually, fine-tuningtemperature measurements andmaking any adjustments totemperature level and span

settings. Enter any supplementaldata into the report page, alongwith the visual image of theequipment inspected.

When the inspection report iscomplete, add the area managerand/or operator(s) to your distri-bution list. As a final task, updatethe equipment list with anychanges, additions or deletions.

Modifications to improveinspection quality

The following suggestions formodifying plant equipment aredesigned to make yourinspections easier, safer, and more

effective. High-emissivity targets installedon such components as bus bars,tubular bus and any large metalelectrical connectors can drama-tically improve the reliability ofradiometric temperature measure-

ments. While there are nostandards for how to create suchtargets, they must be installedwhile the equipment is de-energized. Many plants havereported good success usingspray paint (flat and, if outside,white), especially brandsdesigned to be used on electroniccomponents; electrical tape, andpaper stickers. Targets only needbe installed near connectionpoints.

Infrared transparent windows(either a crystalline material ora special plastic), installed in

electrical panel covers,especially high-voltage, make itpossible to inspect the compo-nents without opening theenclosure. Only install these inlocations that allow for completeinspection.

The clear plastic, touch-safecovers that are increasinglyprevalent inside electrical controlcabinets are not transparent toinfrared! It may be possible to

modify these with hinges or, ifnecessary, routing small holes inthem over the connectors andfuse clips.

Modify equipment guards andcovers on conveyance systemsand motor couplings so that

Professional reports are easily created using the InsideIR software and a PC or laptop.

Simple painted markings like theses are often used for high-emissivity targetsthat dramatically increase the reliability of radiometric measurements.


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bearings and couplings can beinspected. Consider installing asmall hinged door or using metalmesh instead of solid metal, aslong as it doesnt compromise

safety. Thermal mirrors -- thick sheetsof plate aluminum -- can make iteasier to see a thermal signature.To view the end bearings oflarge vertical motors, mount athermal mirror above and angleddown. To view up under aprocess or machine, place athermal mirror on the floor.

Reporting results

The software that comes with theFluke Thermal Imager supportssimple but useful comparisons ofasset condition over time. Analarm temperature can be loadedonto an image before it isuploaded into the camera. Duringthe current inspection, both thatalarm setting and the previousimage can be used to determinethe extent of any changes thatmight have occurred. The new

thermal image and data documentthe new condition. This can all be

included in a report generatedback in the office. Matchingthermal and visual images is veryuseful, and a second thermalimage, either a comparison over

time or a follow-up image, canalso be included.Clearly identify the equipment

inspected as well as the conditionsfound. Use the area measurementtool showing the with maximum,minimum and average temperaturesfor the area, rather than the spotmeasurement tool wheneverpossible. This will ensure that thetrue maximum temperature isbeing identified. It is also importantto report the conditions found

during the inspection with regardto equipment loading andenvironmental variables. Noteboth the emissivity and thereflected background temperaturecorrections used.

The actual report format canvary widely and can becustomized to your needs. Ifpossible, find a way to tie yourreport into the work ordergenerated by the CMMS so that

your findings can be trackedthrough their useful life.

Once the infrared data iscorrelated with data from othertechnologies, the actual operatingcondition of all assets will beknown and can be reported in anintegrated form. Those assets thatare in an alarm stage (red) or anunknown stage (yellow) can thenbe scheduled for either repair orfurther monitoring or managed insome other way, such as reducingload, to minimize the risk offailure. Assets in good condition(green) are ready and available tomake your plant profitable. Everymachine asset may not be green,

but at least youll know where theproblem areas are and cananticipate their condition in thelarger picture of plant operations.Reports organized using thegreen/yellow/red indicatorsquickly show whether overallplant asset health is improving, apowerful communication tomanagers.

Key indicators to track

your resultsAnalysis of data over the longterm is very important, so plan onaccumulating it in forms thatfacilitate this process. The benefitis twofold. First, you will seetrends that may not be obvious ina day-to-day analysis. Forinstance, you may discover thatthe motor shop is doing a poor

job, or that a certain brand offused disconnect consistently has

problems.The second benefit is that you

will see whats working (or not!)about your program. Youll seewhere problems are continuing tooccur, enabling you to justifydedicating resources in thoseareas or decreasing the frequencyof inspection because fewproblems are being found. It canalso help target maintenanceinvestments and allocation of

maintenance funds to get the bestreturns.

There are many ways to track the results a program produces. The key is to get buy-in frommanagement as to what indicators are to be used and then to keep up with accumulatingthe data. The format shown here is clean, simple and powerful in the way it portrays arange of possible savings. (Courtesy of Maintenance Reliability Group, LLC)


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In addition to your measure-ments, also track increasedmachine asset availability, produc-tion, production quality, and thedistribution of maintenance dollarsand total maintenance costs overtime. Enroll your manager and themaintenance team in tracking thisdata. The assumption is that if youconduct your inspections on time,perform follow-up inspections,etc., the results will show up inthe bigger picture.

Other opportunities

Using thermography to look atother manufacturing processapplications can have great value.One thermographer found warmair from the production processblowing directly onto a heatexchanger. Interestingly, theprocess had shut down repeatedlydue to the failure of the exchangerto provide adequate cooling.Engineers had planned to add alarger exchanger to solve the

problem.Another thermographer in anautomotive assembly planthappened to look at the incomingtires and noticed how cold theywere. When he showed the imageto the area manager, the twoquickly connected this conditionto a seasonal problem theyd hadfor years in which the tires failedto mount properly on the rims.The solution? Bring the tiresinside long enough to warm up, a

condition documented by anotherthermal image.

The buildings we work in mayalso have problems that cansolved with thermography.Facilities maintenance can usethermography for roof moistureinspections, locating building airleakage, analyzing the distributionof conditioned air from HVAC,locating underground drains,pipes and lines, solving comfort

related problems in the officeworkspace, and inspecting battery

backup (UPS) for computerssystems.

Of course, thermographerslooking at processes are not limitedto simply measuring temperaturesor seeing thermal images. If youtake time to correlate them, moisture,thickness, coatings, material typeand parts presence will typically allhave their own characteristicthermal signature as well.Manufacturing processes are notalways simple to look at but doingso can often yield a perspectiveThinking Thermallythat may bethe key to finding solutions to costly

problems.

Looking ahead

In summary, now that you haveyour thermal imager and havebeen trained to use it, hereswhat to do next:1. Communicate thermography

plans with managers andoperators

2. Integrate thermography into

existing predictive maintenanceprograms3. Review safety standards and

procedures4. Create an equipment list,

schedule and inspection routes5. Capture baseline images of all

critical equipment during firstsurvey

6. Download images after eachsurvey and convert data fortracking

7. Create a report template and

distribute results after eachsurvey

8. Set up alarms for imagecomparison and key indicatortracking over time

9. Modify inspection conditions, listsand routes over time asnecessaryBy following these steps, youll

develop a successful thermographyprogram that will reducemaintenance costs for your

company while improvingproductivity at the same time.


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AppendixThermography Standards

ASTM (ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive,

West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959; phone 610-832-9500/ fax 610-832-9555)

ASTM E 1934, Standard guide for examining electrical and mechanical equipment

with infrared thermography:

ASTM E 1213, Minimum resolvable

temperature difference (MRTD)

ASTM E 1311, Minimum detectable

temperature difference (MDTD)

ASTM E 1316, Section J, Terms ASTM E 344 Terminology relating to Thermometry and Hydrometry

ASTM E 1256 Standard Test Methods

for Radiation Thermometers

(Single Waveband Type)

ASTM C-1060 Standard practice for Thermographic Inspection of

insulation Installations in Envelope Cavities of Frame Buildings

ASTM C 1153 Standard Practice for the Location of Wet Insulation in

Roofing Systems Using Infrared Imaging

International Standards Organization (ISO) (American National Standards Institute

(212-642-4900))

ISO 6781 Thermal insulation, qualitative detection of thermal irregularities in

building envelopes, Infrared Method

ISO 9712, Nondestructive testingqualification and certification of personnel

International Electrical Testing

Association

(NETA, PO Box 687, Morrison, CO 80465)

MTS-199X Maintenance testing of

electrical systems

ATS-1999 Acceptance testing of

electrical systems

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA, PO Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269;

800-344-3555) www.nfpa.org

NFPA 70-B, Recommended practice for electrical equipment maintenance

NFPA 70-E, Standard for Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration

OSHA 1910

OSHA 1926

American Society for

Nondestructive Testing

(ASNT) 1711 Arlingate Lane, P.O. Box 28518, Columbus, OH www.asnt.org

SNT-TC-1A, a recommended practice for the qualification and certification

of nondestructive testing personnel

CP-189, a standard for the qualification and certification of nondestructive testing

personnel.

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Fluke.Keeping your worldup and running.

Fluke Thermography

PO Box 1820, Santa Cruz, CA USA 95061-1820

Fluke Thermography EuropeBlankenburger Strae 135D-13127 BerlinGermany

For more information call:

In the U.S.A. (800) 866-5478 orFax (831) 425-4561 [email protected]

In Europe/M-East/Africa +49 30 478 00 80 orFax +49 30 471 02 51 [email protected] orInternational (831) 458-1110 orFax (831) 458-1239 or

[email protected] access:http://www.fluke.com/thermography

2005 Fluke Corporation. All rights reserved.Specifications subject to change without notice.Printed in U.S.A. 2/2005 2435910 A-US Rev A Pub-ID 10915-eng

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